Originally published at: http://appletalk.com.au/2018/06/wednesday-morning-news130618/
If you haven’t already seen it, the preview page for iOS 12 on Apple’s website is a fantastic overview of the main features coming to the platform later this year. Through liberal use of animations showing how various features will work, the page highlights the major changes to iOS 12, including improvements to performance, notifications, new animoji and memoji, and Screen Time.
A rumour from yesterday says Apple may be replacing Lightning in the 2019 iPhone lineup, but doesn’t specify what it will be replacing Lightning with. USB-C seems to be the obvious choice, but given that USB Type-C is still a mess that you really don’t want to have to deal with, Lightning is the dream connection standard by comparison. Besides, can you imagine the outrage this change will draw from consumers tied into Lightning by expensive accessories?
It’s time for the FIFA World Cup, and an Apple press release points out all the ways Apple devices and services can help you get involved. Siri now supports questions about football in several new countries in addition to the 26 already supported ones, the App Store has curated collections of football apps and games, with coverage of the matches across Apple News and in the Apple TV app.
Researchers have uncovered a macOS code-signing issue dating back to 2007. Ars Technica reports that because the code signing check used as part of macOS security tools has been trivial to bypass, anyone could have made their code look like it was signed by Apple, allowing execution of potentially malicious code on any machine. While concerning, it seems this particular security hole is the result of ambiguous documentation, and that it was always possible for correct code-signing checks to be utilised by developers when using the proper API call.
Just when you thought the Touchless MacBook Pro (aka MacBook Pro Escape) was immune from the pitfalls of the Touch Bar, an internal Apple memo notes that some models require replacement of both the SSD and logic board when either has a functional failure. It’s unclear why the replacement of both parts is necessary, what causes the issue, or what percentage of devices may be affected, but provided your machine is still under warranty, you’re all good. Otherwise, that’s perhaps the most expensive repair on that particular machine.
Updated App Store guidelines ban cryptocurrency mining on iOS devices. Notably, the change applies to apps directly and any third-party ads displayed within them, disallowing any “unrelated background processes” such as cryptocurrency mining. The storage and transmission of cryptocurrencies is still allowed, and apps can still mine for cryptocurrencies in the cloud or off-device, but that should put an end to any apps wanting to generate a few extra dollars.
The first developer beta of watchOS 5 has returned, after it was pulled ahead of miscellaneous installation issues with the initial release. The updated build 16R5283r is available with the updated version of the configuration profile from Apple’s developer portal. Speaking of betas, the second betas of iOS 11.4.1, macOS 10.13.6, and tvOS 11.4.1 have been released to developers. It’s expected this one is a bug fix release, potentially the last one before the release of iOS 12, macOS 10.14 Mojave, and tvOS 12 in a few months.
AppleInsider points out that Apple’s Support app is now available in 20 more countries. As far as I’m aware, the official Apple Support app wasn’t previously available in Australia, but we, along with a number of European and CIS countries, now get access to the app from iOS devices.
Samsung wants a do-over on the whole Apple design patents legal saga. Not content with the decision that they’ll have to pay US $539 million for violating Apple design patents, they claim that “no reasonable jury” could have found that Apple’s design patents applied to Samsung’s devices included in the trial.
Apple continues to prioritise inclusivity with iOS 12, with gender-neutral Memoji. I’m not sure that was particularly high on anyone’s wishlist for iOS 12 features, but it’s still an important facet of creating your own Memoji character that best represents you.
Point is Apple doesn’t sacrifice good features for customer satisfaction. Roll on USB-C I say, I’m loving it. I’ve got a flash stick with a USB-C plug on one side and an old USB plug on the other, best of both worlds. All my other devices are now USB-C. I have dongles for Africa from my wife’s MacBook which went with USB-C out of the box. I’ve been hoping for this change a lot sooner, i.e. when the X came out.